Jordan Israel Egypt: Holy Land
Trip
Sept 26th – Oct 4th
2011
An unforgettable
9 day journey into the land of the Bible; visiting incredible historical locations;
reliving various religious stories; discovering many nuances of the land and
meeting some lovely people along the way...here are some highlights of the Holy
Land Trip
On the mildly
nippy night of 26th, a group of 48 of us, BCBS staff and family, including
the Principal and Vice-Principal excitedly boarded the Etihad flight to Amman
via Abu Dhabi. We landed in Jordan, the
Kingdom of King Abdullah and Queen Raina, in the morning and directly headed to
Madaba in an AC bus, driving south from Amman along the 5000-year-old King's
Highway. Madaba is known as "The City of Mosaics" as beneath almost
every house lies a fine Byzantine mosaic. Our main stop was the Greek Orthodox
church of St. George in Madaba. Its 6th century Byzantine mosaic
floor map marks the sites mentioned in the Bible and depicts a view of the
entire region from Jordan and Palestine in the north, to Egypt in the south.
Beautiful mosaics frames of Saints and Biblical stories adorn the walls of the
church. Exploring the quaint streets which showcase the mosaic skill of the
locals and making some hurried souvenir purchases along the way, we walked back
to the bus. Lunch at Dana restaurant is where we first sample the delicious salads
and olive rich food that is the speciality of the region.
 |
At the Greek Orthodox Church of St George, Madaba, Jordan
|
Next stop was
Mount Nebo, the presumed site of Moses' death and burial place. Atop the
panoramic viewpoint on Mount Nebo, we saw the Promised Land and imagined how
Moses would have felt after roaming the deserts for 40 years. Other sights of
importance include the point where Moses struck water and a sculpture by an
Italian artist representing the Bible and all the Saints. All along the way, we
saw a dry dusty landscape, with almost every lane prolific with olive trees. Our
friendly guide, Ahmed regaled us with cultural nuances of the land and its
people. Later we checked into Hotel Jerusalem International, Amman after a long
day of walking in the sun.
We checked
out the next morning and proceeded towards border control. Our sojourn in
Jordan was complete and we were ready for our journey into Israel. We meet our
new guide, Galle who commences orienting us about the history of the land. The
terrain changes to a deeper green. And we’re soon getting our first glimpse of the
Sea of Galilee and it’s such a gorgeous blue!
We begin our
Israeli leg by visiting Church of Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fishes
at Tabgha. The church stands on the site of 4th and 5th century
churches and we see the traditional stone on which the miraculous meal was laid
as well as a splendid early Christian mosaic. Lunch is at a hotel beside the Sea
of Galilee. With the brilliant cerulean waterfront setting the right ambience,
we partake of the famed fresh Peter's fish and other local dishes that make up
a scrumptious meal.
We next visit
Capernaum, an ancient fishing village where Jesus healed a paralytic and met
his first disciples. The town was Jesus' main base during his Galilean ministry.
We explore the ruins of a celebrated Byzantine-era synagogue and also get to
see the remains of baptism material from 5th century as well as St
Peter’s house. An imposing statue of St Peter marks the area, imparting a sense
of serenity.
 |
| Listening in rapt attention to our guide in Israel |
We walk
towards the Sea of Galilee, where we board a replica of a Galilean fishing boat
for a short cruise. It is a humbling moment as we set sail on the same sea where
Jesus calmed the storm and walked on the water.
In contrast today, we have similar tourist boats and some windsurfers
for company. With Israeli and Indian flags fluttering on board, coupled with
English and Israeli music playing in the background, the BCBS gang breaks into some
fun dance routines. Once ashore, we head towards the very comfortable Royal
Plaza Hotel in Tiberias.
The next day
we start early and our first stop is Yardenit, the traditional baptismal site
on the Jordan River. We see a sea of white on the narrow stretch of green water
- folks of multiple nationalities dressed in white being baptised at the
original site where Jesus was baptised by John. Our team here splits up, some
immersing themselves in the holy river or collecting the water, some choosing
to be baptised and others shopping for souvenirs.
 |
| Getting into the water at Yardenit, the traditional baptismal site on the Jordan River |
Next stop is
the Church of Beatitudes where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. The striking
feature is the gold dome of this Catholic church, designed Antonio Barluzzi
with its octagonal shape representing the 8 beatitudes. Outside the Church, all
is serene with a landscape of vibrantly coloured flowers and greens, overlooking
the Sea of Galilee.
We stop at
the town of Cana where Jesus performed the first miracle – the changing of
water into wine. We first sample and buy the famous wine and then head to the
famed wedding church. Inside, we met a Spanish group from South America and
their priest who graciously blesses us all. After a quick lunch at Hotel Sahara
in the town of Nime, the next stop is Nazareth, the boyhood town of Jesus and
home of Mary & Joseph. The main highlight is the Basilica of the
Annunciation, which is built over the grotto which the Virgin Mary received the
news from Archangel Gabriel that she would give birth to Jesus. The current day
Catholic Church, is built over the remains of Byzantine and Crusader churches. In
the evening, we leave Tiberais and go to Jerusalem which St Paul writes will be
the centre of the New Order. We check into Jerusalem Gold Hotel, located
centrally in the capital city and are eager to know about this city whose holy
sites revered by three great monotheistic faiths.
Another day
dawns, we visit the town of Ein Kerem where Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth.
The glittering golden domes of the Russian Orthodox church of Mary Magdalene in
typical Muscovite style fascinate us along the way. We stop by Mary’s spring
and see the Visitation Church, set atop a hill and said to be built over the
home of John the Baptist's parents. The principal attraction of the church is
the Magnificat in 42 languages, designed by Barluzzi. We move onward to Mt
Zion, we also see the life size statue of King David, the room of the Last
Super and St Joseph’s church. We also attempted to visit King David’s tomb but
being Sabbath, it was closed for tourists.
 |
| At Mount Zion [City of David] |
The next is
the church of St. Peter in Gallicantu. En route, where we spend some time at
the Belvedere, a panoramic spot, trying to grasp the topographical design of
the land and our co-ordinates. Gallicantu means "cock crowing" and it
remembers the three denials of Peter before Christ’s crucifixation. Outside, an
installation describes the events of the denial of Jesus by Peter. In the
basement of the church is an array of caves including a jail where Jesus was
held after his arrest. Around the Church are the remains of a Byzantine
monastery. At a distance in the valley, we also spot the site where Judas
committed suicide, now a monastery.
Our next destination is
Bethlehem, a fortified city where Palestinian flags dot the skyline and armed
guards are visible at every corner. We leave our Israeli guide and meet the
Palestinian one. Our first stop is Shepherd’s Field, where the Angel announced
the birth of Jesus to the shepherds and the Greek Orthodox site that features a
5th century church built over the cave where the shepherds rested. Inside
the cave, we start singing the hymn ‘Glory
in Excelsis’, only to be joined in by other tourists, creating an
extraordinarily uplifting moment.
After some shopping and
lunch at Mt David Hotel, we go to Church of Nativity - the traditional place of
Christ's birth. Bending to enter the church through the small doorway, the Door
of Humility, we find ourselves in the oldest church in the Holy Land –
resplendent with iconostasis, which is crowned with gilded angels, icons,
chandeliers and lamps; the rows of brown stone pillars, the paintings on them
now faded; a Constantinian mosaic floor, revealed beneath the wooden floorboards,
dating from the 12th century; and a wall of the nave with 12th
century mosaics.
 |
| The Silver Star on the floor of the Grotto that marks the very spot where Christ was born |
It has
different parts held by the Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Latin churches, each
with its own style that converges in that one church. The church is packed with
many tourists and it’s a rush to enter the Grotto of Nativity. We finally push through
a heaving crowd to see the Silver Star on the floor of the Grotto that marks
the very spot where Christ was born and say our prayers. We also visit the adjacent
Church of St. Catherine which is built over the ruins of a Crusader church. Outside
the Church of Nativity, it is a melting pot of tourists from all over the world,
making the most of the massive stone fortress-like walls for a photo-op.
 |
| Stopping for a photo-op outside the fortress-like walls of the Church of Nativity |
When we leave
Bethlehem, it’s time for a surprise, organised by our tour-in-charge, Peter
along with Galle. It’s a Time Machine 4D movie on Israel, tracing its history
until the 5-day war of 1967 at the Beit Hahagana Centre in Jerusalem, complete
with all effects. After this insightful and truly ‘moving’ experience, it’s
time to return to our hotel.
The next day,
we find ourselves on the Mount of Olives. We stop by the Rechavam Observation
point to take in the historic expanse beneath us. We also catch our first glimpse
of Temple Mount, with its golden Dome of the Rock in the distance. It is a
Muslim shrine with the rock where Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac and built
on the site of the First and Second Jewish temples.
 |
| The Dome of the Rock dominates the skyline of Jerusalem |
The Mt of
Olives is separated from the Eastern Hill (the Temple Mount and the City of
David) by the Kidron Valley. It is believed that the Messiah will enter through
the now blocked Golden Gate opposite it and the Last Judgement will take place
in the Kidron Valley. For this reason, the site has is dotted with Jewish
graves so as to be the first to follow the Messiah on the Day of Redemption.
We visit the
unusual Dominus Flevit Church on the slopes of the Mount of Olives, facing the
Temple Mount with its distinct chapel window through which we get a beautiful
view of the city. It marks the spot where Jesus wept over the fate of Jerusalem
that would be shortly destroyed. Outside, we view the tombs of the first
Christians from the 1st and 2nd century at the Necropole,
their bone boxes, complete with imagery and signs and learn more about the
reasoning behind the unique shape of the boxes.
We follow the
traditional Palm Sunday procession route and visit the Garden of Gethsemane at
the bottom of the slope of the Mt. of Olives. The ancient olive garden, their
age being anywhere between one and two thousand years old, is a marvellous
sight. Byzantine, Crusader and a modern church were built successively on the
site where it is believed that Jesus prayed to the Father hours before his
crucifixion. The modern Church of All Nations, designed by Barluzzi has rare
violet glass-like translucent stone windows through which sunlight filters in. It
is also known as the Basilica of the Agony and features the very rock on which
Jesus prayed in agony on the night before his arrest. Outside, one can view the
closed gates of Jerusalem.
We next
proceed to the Wailing Wall or the Western Wall, which is the holiest site for
the Jews and as close as one can get to the Dome of the Rock. As is the custom,
we write our prayers on little scraps of paper and insert them into the
crevices on the Wall. En route, we catch the important landmarks like the
Augusta Victoria Hospital, the Parliament and the Park of Olives, where we take
in the view of raised olive trees against the background of Jerusalem, Bethlehem,
the Dead Sea and the Judean desert.
After lunch
at the Elias restaurant attached to a Greek Orthodox Church, we set out to
explore the Old city of Jerusalem. We start at Bethesda, the site of the
healing miracle of Jesus. It was here at the Pool of Bethesda that Jesus healed
the man who was lame for 38 years. We stop by the Church of St. Anne, a
beautiful 12th century church with typical Crusader style of high
interiors. It is the traditional site of the birthplace of Anne (Hannah), the
mother of Mary. We stop to sing a few songs where our collective voices rise to
the high roof and create a beautiful amplified harmony.
We follow the
Via Dolorosa or the Way of Grief - the 14 stations of the Cross to Golgotha,
where Jesus was crucified. The 1st 2 stations - near Pilate's
Judgement Hall and where Roman soldiers scourged Jesus and placed the crown of
thorns on his head – mark the beginning. The last 5 stations are inside the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Originally built by the mother of Emperor
Constantine in 330 A.D., the Church of the Holy Sepulchre commemorates the hill
of crucifixion and the tomb of Christ's burial and displays Crusader style
facades.
The church
remains carefully divided between denominations who guard their portions
jealously: Armenians, Copts, Greeks and Latins. Almost like a church of many
churches, the first vision is one of grandeur. Beautifully painted interiors
with ornately decorated lamps greet us here at the holiest Christian site in
the world. After an extremely long wait, we finally see the notable sights: the
Place of Crucifixion - a rocky outcropping which is the traditional place where
the cross was placed; the Stone of Unction [Anointing] which commemorates the
preparation of Jesus' body for burial and The Edicule, the location of Christ's
tomb. After a long day, we call it a day and head back to our hotel.
 |
| The Place of Crucifixion, Golgotha inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre |
Next day morning, we check
out of the hotel in Jerusalem and visit Jericho, the lowest place on earth at
1300 feet below sea level and the oldest city in the world [10,000 years old].
It’s also the known for its Biblical significance of the place of Zachaeus'
house. After shopping for dates, Dead Sea products, saffron & souvenirs, we
drive past the Mount of Temptation. A Palestinian city, we change guides when
we enter and again when we leave. We bid goodbye to Jericho and begin
descending as we travel to the Dead Sea - the lowest body of water on earth.
With its high salinity, one can float without even trying in its waters. We
visited Kalia beach where the must-do activities include floating in the
mineral rich sea, mud-sun-packing and lunching at the resto above the beach,
with its fabulous view of the cobalt blue waters.
After a relaxed meal and
more shopping, we drive towards Taba border. The landscape changes, the Dead
Sea is left behind and the untamed beauty of the surrounding desert is visible.
We start driving along the Red Sea and soon, we arrive at Eilat, the southern-most
Israeli town and a popular sea-side destination, famous for its underwater
marine life. After the land border change formalities and saying good-bye to
our dear guide, Galle, we’re in the land of the Pharaohs, Egypt where we’re
warmly welcomed by our new guide, Ahmed as ‘Habibis’. As we begin our journey
to St Catherine, our next stop, we catch a glimpse of the Fort of Saladin in
the Red Sea. By nightfall, we reach Morgan Land hotel in the Mt Sinai region.
The next morning, we cab it
half-way and climb the other half to St Catherine's monastery which is atop one
of the smaller hills. The cragged steep mountains surround us, the sun
powerfully shining on this desert land and it is with a sense of stupefaction
that we realise that it was on one of these mountains that Moses climbed to get
down the 10 commandments. Inside the monastery, we visit Moses' well and the
Burning Bush of Moses.
We then leave
the Sinai Region, following the Red Sea. We lunch at a resort on the beach,
once again with sparkling views of the Red Sea. It’s a popular venue for
water-sports activities such as kiting and wind-surfing.
 |
| Relaxing at the date palm fringed resort with its brilliant blue waters of the Red Sea |
It is a memorable
moment as we travel in the tunnel beneath the Suez Canal, crossing over from
Asia to Africa. After a long journey through Egypt, we finally reach the
capital, Cairo. After the many water bodies of our trip - Jordan River, Sea of
Galilee, Dead Sea, Red Sea, now it’s time to make our acquaintance with the
River Nile.
We check into
Zoser Hotel after an arduous in-city driving experience in peak traffic and
proceed to the River Nile for our dinner cruise aboard the ‘Andrea Le Memphis’.
The evening’s chief attractions: the gyrations of the exotic blonde
belly-dancer; the impromptu adaption of her Middle-eastern dance by Peter, our
tour-in-charge; the feats of the Tandoora man; had us cracking up in laughter.
A view from the deck lent a splendid view of Cairo by night - the twinkling of
the city lights, stars and their reflection on the dark waters and coupled with
the gentle rocking of the boat, delicious dinner, music and dance, and the
amiable company, signalled a relaxing end to a long day.
The next day,
we set out from our hotel on Pyramid road to see the wonder of the ancient world
at Giza. We brave through the crazy traffic of Cairo and suddenly, amidst the
city's hustle-bustle, we have our first glimpse of the mighty Pyramids, so
casually co-located in a stone’s throw of the modern world. As we get a closer view, words are not enough
to describe one’s impression of the Pyramids. Built about 4000 yrs ago with an
estimated 2.3 million blocks of stone, the Pyramids impart a towering sense of
magnificence. We climbed the biggest Pyramid at Giza, that of King Cheops to a
few permitted levels. It was incredible to stand there and look up to see how high
it extended – truly majestic!
 |
| Panoramic view of the 3 Mighty Pyramids of Giza – of King Khufu, King Khafra and King Menkaura |
The next few hours were
dedicated to learning about the famed 3 Pyramids and discovering some tiny unknown
Pyramids in the vicinity, visiting the panoramic spot with a view of all the 3
pyramids, coming in walking distance of the grand Sphinx with its cut-off nose
attributed to different folk lore. We also visited an exotic perfumery,
jewellery and a papyrus painting showroom where we saw how sheets are made from
the papyrus plant and learnt about cartouches.
We spent a few cherished hours at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo where there was
not enough time to do justice to the enormous wealth of artefacts of the
Pharaohs, the Mummies and the relics of Tutan-Khamen. We ended the evening with a glorious sound
& light show at the Pyramids of Giza. The last glimpses of the Pyramids and
the Sphinx in the moon light, in all its mesmerising glory at the end of the
show will remain in my mind for a long time.
 |
| At the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, established in 1902 - home to the great collection of Egyptian antiquities with over 120,000 items on display |
And
soon, the last day of our holiday was upon us and we travelled back via Abu
Dhabi to Bangalore. A journey complete but in no way ended. A kaleidoscope of
images kept running through my mind. The Silver Star at the Church of Nativity
and the azure blue of the Sea of Galilee. The golden Dome of the Rock that defines
the skyline of the Holy Land. The renowned Mediterranean fare of cool salads,
feta cheese, humus and other delicacies. The French, Latin, Greek and German influence
in churches and signages. Biblical history and its myriad interpretations. The
tranquillity in the high-arched Crusader styled churches. The friendly people
from other countries that we met, all linked by a common Christian faith.
It
is a curious mélange of experiences that we brought back. The Holy Land has so
much to offer, there’s so much we saw, there’s so much to take in, there’s so
much we didn’t! Against a background of converging hushed accents of German,
Russian, French and other foreign languages, exploring the history of the land,
learning about its culture, devoting some personal time to introspection and
meditation, we leave, replete with a sense of contentment, a deep sated
satisfaction of knowing a bit more, but not all; and above all, a feeling of
overwhelming emotion.
